Residents in 3 NC counties worry about well water

Published: Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 2:25 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 2:25 p.m.

ROCKINHAM— Residents in three North Carolina counties are worried about what pesticides peach farmers used decades ago that may be polluting well water today.

The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday that tests done by state health officials have found 117 tainted wells in Montgomery, Richmond and Moore counties in the past year.

Contamination levels as high as 55 times the federal safe drinking-water standard have been detected and residents in 77 homes where contamination were contamination was the worst have been told not to drink or cook with their well water.

For now, state officials are delivering 5-gallon jugs of safe drinking water each week to affected homes. But residents say they were not warned early enough about the dangers that were discovered last year.

<p>ROCKINHAM Residents in three North Carolina counties are worried about what pesticides peach farmers used decades ago that may be polluting well water today.</p><p>The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday that tests done by state health officials have found 117 tainted wells in Montgomery, Richmond and Moore counties in the past year.</p><p>Contamination levels as high as 55 times the federal safe drinking-water standard have been detected and residents in 77 homes where contamination were contamination was the worst have been told not to drink or cook with their well water.</p><p>For now, state officials are delivering 5-gallon jugs of safe drinking water each week to affected homes. But residents say they were not warned early enough about the dangers that were discovered last year.</p>